Mohave County miner., 1887-11-19
WASHINGTON LETTER. I.
VRoa OUR nrerLAK CORRESPONDENT. /,

Fho@ WIN hEtIAA& &No&AESTONDEEE.l
WASHINGTON. Nov. 8, 1887.
One OF the most wildly known and
popular OF Congressman 10 the late Amcri-
can Minister TO Turkey, the Hon. 8. 8.
Cox, Of New York, who In known to fame
as "Sunset." and in the wit of the House
a. well. Messrs. Cox and Mills are the
only members prominently named for
Chairmen Of the Ways and Means Com
mittes Of the Fiftiesh Congress, but as
the New Yorker declines that great honor
In advance. the Lone Star statesman ap-
pears 10 have the field to himself, and
will probably attain the distinction to
which he aspires.
Nr. Coz has Just reached the Capital.
and he expresses some interesting Views
upon political and legislative questions,
especially the tariff, which he believes
will be materially modified this winter by
The passage OF compromiss measure re-
yelling the tobacco tar and placing a
ia,g, number Of the necessities Of life on
the free list.
OF contemplated legislation none is oi
more general interest or importance TO
the people OF the United States than the
proposed postal telegraph. which finds
many advocates, particularly among those
statesmen who were influential In press.
Ing the Interstate Commerce Bill to q
successfnl issue. In fact It seems that
the country's only safe hope and protec.
tion against the sraspin9 greed OF the
grinding telegraph monopoly 10 Govern.
ment control Of that system Of communi-
cation. And that II will come sooner or
later there is little reason TO doubt, unless
tho lobbyists can raise enough money TO
capture Congress, which do not believe
is purchasable. ~ whole, though there
are reasons for concluding that some
members have their regular prices for
votes and influence. II that were not
true the occupation Of the lobbyists would
be gone, and these persuasive individuals
would disappear from the corridors Of the
Capital.
Other legislation that IL needed and
will be attempted is a change In both the
time OF eleciing Congressman and the
date for the meeting of that body. At
present a Congress is chosen thirteen
months before IL convenes. which is
neither in accord with our plan Of popular
representation nor with the advanced
ideas that dominate and permeate the
modern republican system of government.
The right way would be to elect Congress-
men In November and have the session
begin. not on the first Monday In Deem
Der as now. bnt On the first Monday in
January following the election, thus at q
single stroke Of good policy dispensing
with the long interim and the useless
holiday adjournment. which latter, com.
ing in two or fhree weeks after the open.
ing of the session. seems to your cores
pondent to he largely in the line Of a
farcicsl performance for a body Of such
power and dignity a. the National Legis-
istnre.
There 10 a good deal Of gossip floating
around the White House which those
who are we'll posted claim TO have some
foundation In fact. 1t is said that among
the first communications that viii 90
from the President to the Senate will be
Secretary Lamar's nomination for gu
preme Justice, and that Postmaster Gen
eral Villas will be appointed to the vacant
portfolio, to be succeeded himself by Don
VI. Dickinson, OF Michigan. I merely
give these reports for what they are
worth, and that may DO much or little.
There Ia . regular rule in all the
Federal Departments denying admission
to visitors after 2 p. m, which has been
strictly enforced except in the State, War
and Navy Department buildings; but the
watchmen in those Departments have now
becn snjoined to compel strict compliance
With the prevailing custom, 30 visitors
may govern themselves accordingly, un.
less they are fortunately provided with
passes from the Superintendent.
In response TO the urgent appeals OF
the New York authorities the National
Government has given orders TO use all
proper and vigilant means to prevent the
landing at that port Of cholera-infected
vessels, two Of which have lately arrived
there from Italy. Two of the crew Of one
of these ships succeeded in reaching
Washington, where they were hunted
down and disinfected by the police.
The past weak youthful newspaper
correspondent created great sensation
by mailing Chief Justice Waite a bogus
"infernal" machine. At first it was at.
tributsd to Anarchist sympathizers, but
the youth, when confronted with the evi-
dsncs OF his indiscretion, said II was .
joke. In the eyes Of the law it 10 Q Grim.
inal ofFsnss.
Those men who take the charity view
OF the matter are unmindful OF the fact
that the advertising columns OF the news
paper are the index OF the prosperity Of
the town orcity. A live paper, we'll flled